sea beyond us was for the most part covered with a compact body of ice, yet that a channel of sufficient breadth was still left open for us between it and the shore, under the lee of Bathurst Island. The westernmost land now in sight was a cape, which I named after Sir George Cockburn. The water became very light coloured, as we stood in towards this part of the coast, and we tacked in 26 fathoms, at six or seven miles’ distance from it.”
August 26th. – “While beating round Cape Cockburn, we observed that the land to the westward of it swept into a large bay which I named after Sir Graham Moore. The weather was at this time remarkably serene and clear. We saw a line of ice to the southward of us, lying in a direction nearly east and west, and some more land appeared to the westward; yet the space of open water was still broad, and the prospect from the masthead flattering. About 7 p.m., we were sufficiently near to the western land, to ascertain that it was part of another island, which I named after Sir Thomas Byam Martin; and by 8 o’clock we perceived that the body of ice to the southward, along which we had been sailing, took a turn to the north, and stretched quite in to the shore, near a low point, off which a great quantity of heavy ice was aground. At 10, finding that there was at present no passage to the westward, we hauled off to the S.E., in the hope of meeting with some opening in the ice to the southward, by which we might get round in the desired direction. We were encouraged in this hope by a dark ‘water-sky’, but after running along the ice till half-past eleven, without success we again bore up to return towards the island. As we approached the ____ point of it, to which I gave the name of Cape Gillman, we found the ice in the same position as before; and I therefore hauled to the north-east, with the intention of attempting a passage round the north side of the island. In standing towards Cape Gillman, our soundings gradually decreased from 80 to 23 fathoms, the latter depth occurring at the distance of two to four miles from the shore.”
August 28th. – “At 10 a.m., the wind being very light from the S.S.E., I despatched Captain Sabine and Mr. Ross, accompanied by Messrs. Edwards and Fisher, to the eastern point of the island, which we were about to round, in order to make the necessary observations, and to examine the natural productions of the shore. Our latitude at noon was 75° 3' 12", longitude 103° 44' 37", and the depth of water 40 fathoms. The gentlemen reported, on their return, that they had landed on a sandy beach, and found the island more productive, and altogether more interesting, than any other part of the shores of the polar regions which we had yet visited. The remains of Esquimaux habitations were found in
